Editor 's note : Donna Rose is a speaker and advocate for transgender and transsexual issues . She is the author of a memoir , `` Wrapped In Blue : A Journey of Self-Discovery . '' Her Web site is http://www.donnarose.com/

Donna Rose says transgender people do n't fit the stereotypes society often tries to impose .

-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was only a matter of time . The real-life drama of being transsexual has come to Hollywood . Chastity Bono , the impossibly cute little blond girl who , for many of my generation , remains frozen in time as the sweet , chubby-faced cherub closing many a Sonny and Cher show in the arms of her doting parents , recently announced that he is transsexual and will be transitioning from female to male . He will go by the name of Chaz .

As shocking as this news may be to some , it is yet another reminder that all is not necessarily as it appears and that each of us is more complicated than simply the skin and bones of our bodies . Rather , it is our heart and spirit that defines us .

Transgender people -- that is , people who may not experience or express their gender in ways that are necessarily typical for the physical sex of their body -- have been part of the fabric of cultures for as long as history has been recorded .

We 're a cross-section of society -- pilots , engineers , doctors , factory workers , artisans and pretty much anything else you can imagine . It was only a matter of time before we came to Hollywood . Make no mistake -- Chaz is n't the first and certainly wo n't be the last .

Despite what others choose to believe , transsexual people are no longer relegated to hiding in safe little shadows for fear that society will detect them and punish them . We are far more than traditional stereotypes of transpeople as hookers , drug-users , porn stars or social misfits relegated to the fringes of society .

In a very real sense , transgender people are no one thing . We are everyone , everywhere . Whether you realize it or not , we go to your school , we are active in your communities of faith , we are your neighbors , your co-workers , your family members .

We live in a world that tries to force all of us to conform to the expectations and roles established for our bodies at birth , yet our heart and our spirit often realize that we have been miscast in life . We are forced to ask questions of ourselves about things that few ever consider .

The search for answers is indeed the pathway for overall happiness and fulfillment in life . This is a journey that each of us is on -- trans and not -- and the simple fact of the matter is that the transgender journey may appear unique , but the end goal is a universal one : Happiness .

Needless to say , there are those who continue to live in a world where `` different '' somehow automatically means bad , or is a threat . These are people who would keep transgender people trapped in stigmas of mental illness , moral weakness , sexual perversion and general societal freakishness .

Our defense is a simple one : We prove who we are , individually and collectively , not with words but with the courage to come out and the ability to live our lives with dignity and grace .

It may come as a surprise for many people in this country to recognize that many of us who are transsexual are not embarrassed , ashamed or otherwise apologetic of who or what we are . We refuse to go back into the stifling closet of trying to be something we 're not .

We enjoy each and every day being unique , as men and women and everything in between , and we rejoice in our diversity rather than fear it . The ties that bind us are far more than the obvious connections of gender . They are bonds of courage , authenticity , integrity and pride .

This is not a journey about surgery . It is not a journey about being `` fixed . '' It 's not about the clothes . It 's not about sexuality , or hormones , or any other single thing . It is a journey of self , full of uplifting revelations and heartbreaking realizations .

A major point on that journey is gaining a sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance . Chaz 's recent announcement indicates that he has reached that point and is well on his way to be who he will become .

Chaz will face hurdles . It may come as a surprise to some that it is still legal to fire someone in this country , or to deny housing simply because they come out as transgender .

Transgender people are victimized by crime more frequently than the general population . Many of us find ourselves unemployed and unable to be hired for jobs for which we are well qualified simply because we are transgender . And , as harsh as this life can be for us , many previous generations had it even worse . Things are changing -- slowly but surely .

Why are they changing ? Because transgender people are here to stay . We 've been here all along and we 're finally acknowledging that our unique journey is part of who we are , but not ALL of who we are . Chaz is a courageous brother . He is a role model to others struggling with similar issues and questions . He is someone who has taken control of his life and intends to live it to the fullest . These are not things to fear . These are things to admire .

The message here is not one of our bodies , but one of our spirits . It is not one of becoming something you 're not ; it is of accepting what you are . As French writer Andre Gide said : `` It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you 're not . '' Many of us have experienced these words first-hand and know them to be true . Chaz knows who and what he is . That is not something to fear . That is something to celebrate .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Rose .

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Donna Rose : Chastity Bono highlights transgender presence in Hollywood

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Rose says transgender people are in all walks of life

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She says they face obstacles to expressing their real identity

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Rose : Transgender people accept and celebrate who they are